NHSC Designation Provides Office of Mental Health Staff Student Loan Assistance

The New York State Office of Mental Health announced that 19 additional outpatient sites have been designated as National Health Service Corp (NHSC) approved locations. The designation comes with numerous benefits – including student loan repayment and scholarship programs – that will help recruit and retain talented staff for underserved areas of the state.

“This designation from the NHSC, as well as recent salary increases for Registered Nurses, Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners approved by Governor Cuomo, are important recruitment tools that will help us attract exceptional health care providers to our facilities,” said Office of Mental Health (OMH) Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan. “And while this is very good for our staff, it will also greatly benefit the residents of our State who live in underserved regions, ensuring that they too have access to quality health care.”

The NHSC’s mission is to build healthy communities by supporting qualified health care providers dedicated to working in underserved areas. OMH now has a total of 35 approved NHSC sites serving adults, adolescents and children and an additional 13 sites serving forensic populations.

OMH clinical staff who provide services in underserved areas at NHSC approved outpatient sites are eligible to participate in several award programs administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Programs include a variety of loan repayment and scholarship programs for licensed professionals as well as nursing and medical students.

Current staff, as well as new hires, may be eligible to apply for loan repayment assistance of up to $50,000 in exchange for a two-year commitment at an NHSC approved site.  This designation may also enable NHSC Scholarship Program recipients to fulfill their associated service obligation.

For more information on the benefits of working in a NHSC approved site please visit the HRSA website: https://www.hrsa.gov

The OMH facilities newly designated by the NHSC include:

1. Bronx PC                                White Plains Road Clinic
2. Buffalo PC                               Butler Clinic
3. Buffalo PC                               Miller-Broadway Clinic
4. Buffalo PC                               Lakeside Clinic
5. Capital District PC                   North Satellite Clinic - Hudson Falls High School
6. Capital District PC                   Middle Clinic Satellite
7. Capital District PC                   Glen Street Satellite Clinic
8. Capital District PC                   Schenectady County Community Treatment Program
9. Hutchings PC                          Washington Street Clinic
10. Kingsboro PC                          Williamsburg Clinic
11. Kingsboro PC                          Canarsie Satellite Clinic
12. Kingsboro PC                          Canarsie Clinic
13. Manhattan PC                         125th Street Clinic
14. Mohawk Valley PC                  York Street Clinic
15. Mohawk Valley PC                  Herkimer Clinic
16. Mohawk Valley PC                  Rome Clinic
17. Rockland PC                          Yonkers Service Center
18. Lawrence PC                          Watertown Child & Adolescent Wellness Clinic
19. South Beach PC                     Heights Hill Clinic

More information about employment opportunities at the Office of Mental Health is available on the OMH website: https://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/employment/

Source: The New York State Office of Mental Health